Connectors are used to transmit signals or electrical energy between cables, devices (computer, lighting, etc.), or motors. In particular, electrical connectors include electrical contacts in a greater or smaller number or of a larger or smaller size. The contact force must be sufficiently high in order to ensure good electrical conduction between male and female contacts. For this reason, and in particular if contacts are of relatively large size, for example as a result of being connected to a source of an electrical power supply the insertion force of the male contact into the female contact may become relatively large.
In order to limit and, if possible, to avoid the risks of musculoskeletal disorders for the operators responsible for the fitting and the connection of the connectors certain connectors are equipped with a device for facilitating the connection or for assisting with the coupling of a connector to a counter-connector. Such a device for facilitating the connection may include a sliding drawer, or slide, and a rotating lever, for example. In this case, and in a manner known per se, a system of gearing having teeth on a part of the lever which is caused to rotate when the lever is actuated, as well as a rack on the slide, makes it possible to displace the slide in translation. In the course of the translation, a ramp device on the slide and a pinion device on the counter-connector makes it possible to drive the counter-connector in order to couple it to the connector.
In addition, the connector may be equipped with a cable guide cover in order to guide and maintain the cables that are electrically connected to the contacts fitted in the connector. In this case, the lever may be rotatably mounted on the cable guide cover. However, it is possible for the teeth of the lever to deviate too far from the rack of the slide which may give rise to blockages or malfunctioning of the assembly of the device for facilitating the connection. It is also possible for the cable guide cover to become detached from the housing.
A solution is proposed in document U.S. Pat. No. 9,048,579 B2 according to which the cable guide cover and the housing are maintained together by a system of grooves and ribs disposed longitudinally to either side of the portion of the housing in the area of which the lever cooperates with the slide. Whereas this solution may possibly enhance the maintenance of the cable guide cover on the housing, it does not necessarily completely address the problem of the lack of interaction between the teeth of the lever and the rack of the slide. Blocking of the device for facilitating the connection may still occur, therefore. In addition, this solution makes it necessary to position this portion in a relatively central manner on the housing and, for this reason, limits the potentially useful length of the lever for a given size of the connector and its lever and consequently increases the force to be applied to the lever in order to couple the connector to the counter-connector.
The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.